“The Future Belongs to Those Who Prepare for It Today” – Malcolm X
Note: This post features invented slang and idioms, co-created with Gen AI, better to capture the evolving language and ideas of Generation Alpha
Meet Kai
A keen mind from Generation Alpha, shaped by Gen AI, offers fresh insights into how AI reshapes creativity. Language evolves, and so must we. Since we don’t have the slang and words for this new era, we’ll invent them.
Could Shakespeare Have Used Google Docs?
Let’s stretch our minds for a moment. What if Shakespeare had written his plays on a MacBook? What if Mozart got some tips from an AI-powered app? Would they be remembered today? Would they be immortal? It’s kind of wild to think about how tech tools could’ve changed history.
What is the Essence of Art in a Digital Age?
Imagine the classics of art and literature, reshaped by the digital age. Would the essence of these iconic works remain, or would they morph into something else entirely? We can only wonder. Would the ‘Mona Lisa’ carry the same enigmatic charm if it was a digital art piece created through AI algorithms?
Technology as Enabler or Disruptor?
Technology has the power to redefine the tools of the trade, but does it have the ability to redefine genius? Is tech an enabler or a disruptor? These are questions that linger as we venture into an era where artificial intelligence becomes as commonplace as ink and paper once were.
KAI: That’s straight-up future talk. Scare-vibes ? Nah, let’s get trendowoke ; no room for fright. Seriously, why dread Gen AI? We should be the ones steering the code, not the other way around.
Here, Kai touches on one of my core beliefs: managing tech instead of being managed by it. The future should not be a dystopia where machines control humans. It should be a symbiosis, a relationship of mutual respect. As tech advances, the challenge falls on us to guide it, to define its ethics, and to ensure it enhances rather than diminishes human life.
KAI: Totally vibin’ with you. Schools gotta be the frontline, for real. If Gen AI were in my class, we’d level up big time. AI debates, ethics jams, all that good stuff. Think of it like learning to drive—gotta know the rules, the risks, and the mindblaze possibilities. We’d learn to be tech bosses, not tech bots, and that’s future-proofing 101.
So Kai, what’s your game plan with Gen AI if you had the classroom keys for a day?
KAI: If I had Gen AI in the classroom, we’d be doing mega cool stuff. First off, AI-guided science labs, you know? Imagine testing out physics theories with simulations so real you’d think it’s magic. And what about history? We’d use AI to recreate moments in time. Ever wonder how the Roman Colosseum felt during a gladiator fight? We’d VR that and walk right in—safe and sound.
Don’t even get me started on languages. An AI could personalize language learning to each of us. Struggling with French? It would tweak the lessons until you’re basically fluent.
Lastly, the “Code of Cool.” We’d have weekly sessions where we’d role-play AI scenarios. Stuff like: you’re the programmer, and you’ve got to decide if a self-driving car should prioritize the life of a pedestrian or the passengers. Gets you thinking, right?
So yeah, it wouldn’t just be about using Gen AI but understanding it, too. We’d learn to be tech bosses who use AI to solve real problems, not just take shortcuts. That’s how you future-proof yourself.
What Builds the Generational Bridge?
Of course, this is a simulation. We adults cannot possibly imagine the future of our children or grandchildren. That is why it is crucial to involve the opinion and, let’s face it, the wisdom of the younger generation in all our choices for the future. Gen Z is the most empathic, better educated, more practical, more ambitious, and more skeptical generation so far. Millennials are the digital bridge between analog and online worlds, resilient and adaptable, who’ve significantly driven societal and technological changes.
They initiated the sociological evolution but weren’t born into the digital landscape like Gen Z.
Zoomers, born between 1997 and 2012, are currently between 11 and 26. Meanwhile, Gen Alpha kicked off in 2012 and will continue until 2025.
Since Alpha will probably populate Mars and the Moon, we must rely on Gen Z to understand their future.
My mentor was seventeen when we started to mentor each other. We must shape a new “reverse” mentoring where different generations empower each other. Generation Alpha will be smarter than the past generations, not due to evolution; instead, contributing factors such as improved diets and health, modernization of communities, and social awareness all lead to more intelligent generations and perhaps to a newly evolved species.
One of our focuses should be: How can we “facilitate” a better future? How can we help them become a better generation than ours, the boomers or the Xers, the cohorts that have created all the challenges we face today?
Is the Future a Two-Way Street?
As we think about the steps to a better future, let’s remember that wisdom doesn’t all flow one way. The younger generations bring their own insights, capabilities, and unique perspectives to the table. We’ve given them the world as it is, but they’re the ones who will live in the world as it will be. Our job isn’t just to guide them: it’s to listen to and learn from them.
KAI: Hey, so listen up, everyone. We might be young, but we’re more in tune with the future because, well, we are the future. So let’s do this as a team, yeah? Take our hand, metaphorically speaking, and let’s leap into the future together. We’re ready to show you some new angles and ready to learn from your experience, too. It’s a two-way street; that’s the real way to future-proof our world.